Expression, Expression, Expression!
Rationale:
Fluency is being able to read and reread decodable words in connected
text. To be a fluent reader you have to be able to read
accurately and automatically. To be a successful reader, there
are five components: reading faster, reading with expression, reading
smoothly, reading silently and being able to read voluntarily.
This lesson is going to focus on being able to read with
expression.
Materials:
Blackboard, chalk, sentences written by the teacher, The Lorax
by Dr. Seuss, one copy of Marley Goes to School for each
student, assessment checklist for each student.
Sample
Sentences: Do you like
to play hide and seek?
Stop kicking me!
Do you have anything to eat?
I can't wait for summer!
I am hungry!
Do you want to go and play with me?
Sample
Checklist:
Procedure:
1.
The teacher will begin the lesson by modeling why expression needs to
be used when reading. "We use expression when reading to show
sadness, happiness, frustration etc. so that the story we are
reading is interesting to the audience. When we change our voice we
either make it lower or higher to show our emotion." I will also
share why we read with expression. First, I will tell the
students to listen to two sentences. When the children think they
hear the one with expression, they will raise their hand. I will
then ask them if they think they would like listening to a story if it
was read like the sentence without expression. The class will
then realize that expression makes a story interesting and enjoyable to
listen too.
2.
Now I will read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. I will tell the
children that if you hear me using good expression and emotion I want
you to hold both thumbs up, if you think I am reading with no
expression and very plain then hold both thumbs down. The teacher
will read a few sentences without expression, then change and read with
great expression. This will show the students what a big difference it
makes when someone reads with expression.
3. Now I will write several sentences on the board. I will ask
for a student to read that sentence without expression then reread it
with the expression that they think is needed to make the sentence make
sense. We will do the first one together. Example: I love
the beach! The teacher will read the first time with no emotion
or expression then reread with great expression and exclamation.
4. Next the teacher will review with the class about punctuation marks
and the expressions associated with them. The teacher will
explain how a person might change their voice in different ways to read
a sentence with a question mark, for example "Can you please hand me
the blue marker?" or an exclamation point "Give me that marker!" There
will be a class discussion and several examples given by both the
students and the teacher.
5. Now we will be reading a book called Marley goes to school
by John Grogan. Book Talk: "This book is about a dog that follows
his best friend to school one day and gets into a little bit of
trouble, to find out what kind of trouble you will need to read the
book." The class will read the book together using expression. Next,
the students will discuss the different expressions used in the book
with the person sitting next to them. Once the students have had time
to discuss the expressions used, the teacher will guide a class
discussion about the expressions in the book.
Assessment:
As the students are reading out loud I will have my checklist checking
off how they read. If they are not reading with enough expression
or not reading it correctly I will stop them, ask them why they think I
stopped them, help them fix it, and they will then reread that sentence
using more expression.
References:
Murray,
Bruce. The Reading Genie. http://www.auburn.edu/~murraba/.com
Dr.
Seuss. The Lorax. Dr. Seuss Enterprises 1971.
Grogan, John. Marley Goes to School. HarperCollins Publishers 2009.